FNI expert to advise UN on combatting marine plastic pollution

MARINE POLLUTION: Some 8.8 million metric tons of plastic waste are said to be dumped in the world's oceans each year, posing a serious threath to fish, seabirds and other wildlife. Photo: Foap

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) has selected Research Professor Davor Vidas, director of FNI's Law of the Sea Programme, to join the Advisory Group for the UN Environment Assembly on combatting marine pollution by plastic litter and microplastics.

The task of the Advisory Group, comprised of 30 experts drawn from the five UN regions and all invited in their personal capacity, will be to assist UNEP in undertaking an assessment of the effectiveness of relevant international, regional and sub-regional governance strategies to combat marine plastic litter and microplastics, and to identify gaps in regulatory frameworks and options for addressing them.

Ready in 2017

The Assessment shall be made available to UN Member States for possible decisions at the third session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-3), in December 2017.

How to more effectively regulate pollution of oceans and marine areas by plastic litter and microplastics is an issue-area of increasing importance in FNI's research agenda on the law of the sea and marine affairs, says Vidas.